Facsimile machine



Nov. 21, 1944. A. G. 'CooLEY 2,363,398

FACSIMILE MACHINE Filed Nov. '7, 1941 5 sheets-sheet 1 .n -W |11 L M n mmwd www@ .m 1 1 m. m\\M\.H|| WM U 11 m5 .U14 w 1G. A 1 N l I? r AU w\\ 1 ,fw u .RWI J NW W 1H un. i! ,u. mm XS.

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Nov. 21, 1944. A` G, COOLEY 2,363,398

FACSIMILE MACHINE Filed Nov. 7, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR U .r1 l UST//V COOLEY NOV- 21, 1944 A. G. cooLEY 2,363,398

FACS IMILE MACHINE Filed NOV, '7, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR las T//v COOL Ey Filed Nov. 7, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 R Y E nIU L N m @d R w w( l 6. A N M nm w m A aw bici. ,vzxfv ,if u Mull! mw NOV. 21, 1944. A G CQOLEY FACSIMILE MACHINE Filed Nov. 7, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 -HAVFW Patented Nov. 21, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE FACSIMILE' MACHINE Austin G. Cooley,r New York, N. Y., assignor to Times Telephoto Equipment Inc., New York, N. Y., ya'corporation ofy New York Application November 7, 1941, Serial No. 418,172

Claims. (Cl. 178 6.6)

This invention relates to facsimile machines and more especially toy facsimile machines of the tape transmission and tape recording type.

A principa1 object of the invention is to provide a unitary tape facsimile transmitting and receiving'machine which is specially designed to be of extreme simplicity and rugged construction and assembly.

.y Another object is to provide a unitary facsimile transmitting and recording machine which is compact and of light weight.

Another object is to provide an improved tape feed mechanism.

A feature of the invention'relates to a simplified scanning head fora tape facsimile transmitter.

Another feature relatesV to an improved tape 'facsimile recorder for producing a multiple ren production of a transmitted facsimile.

A further Vfeature relates to an improved tape recorder head of the intersecting edge recorder type.

yA further feature relates to an improved actuating mechanism for the recording head vof a facsimile recorder of the rotatable platen and cooperating straight edge type.

Astill further feature relates to the novel organization, arrangementand relative location of parts which cooperate to form a simple, cheap and rugged facsimile transmitter-recorder -machine.

Other features. and advantages not specifically enumerated will be apparent aftera consideration of the following detailed descriptions and the appended claims.

In the drawings illustrating one construction of machine which has demonstrated its utility for the purposes intended,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the working .parts of my improved tape transmitter-recorder machine with certain cover plates removed.

Fig. 2 is a left-hand side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a right-hand side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view of part of Fig. 1, taken along the line 4-4 thereof.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 4 taken along the line 5 5 thereof.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 taken along the lline 5 6 thereof. y

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are respective sectional views taken along the lines 1 1, 8 8, 9 9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. `10 is an enlarged detailed view of part of the recorder bar actuating mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a detailed view of the clutch of Fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a developed or flattened-out diagrammatic representation of the scanning end of the scanning drum.

Fig. 13 is a similar developed or flattened-out diagrammatic view of the recording drum.

Fig. 14 represents a short section of message tape used for transmission. while Fig. 15 represents the corresponding tape as reproduced according to the invention.

Referring to Fig. l, there is shown a unitary facsimile transmitter and recorder machine for transmitting and recording intelligence or other subject matter embodied in tape or web form. The machine comprises a base plate l to which are bolted at opposite ends the vertical walls 2 and 3. Members 2 and 3 are also united by a horizontal platform 4 on which isr suitably fastened the main driving motor M. The lefthand end 5 of the motor shaft has fastened theretoby set screws G (Fig. 6) the perforated opaque scanning drum 1, while the right-hand end 8 of the motor shaft has fastened thereto the recording drum or platen 9. The scanning drum 1 vis in the form of an elongated metal cylinder having three sets I0, II, I2, of scanning perforations (Fig. 12). Fig. 12 represents the drum l in developed orplanar form from which it will be seen that lthe sets of perforations, while they extend substantially the same distance along the drum, are so arranged that during each complete revolution of the drum, each perforation scans a different point on a given line across the scanning eld I3. Thus in the example shown, there are twenty perforations in each set, and the tape moves continuously at such a rate so that each elemental transverse line of the tape is scanned in twenty successive elemental areas of approximately 0.0001 square inch. Thus during each revolution of the drum, three successive elemental transverse strips of the tape are scanned. In order to select the successive linear strips of the tape for scanning, there is provided a tubular opaque shield I4 which is telescoped over the stationary bearing hub I5 of the motor. Shield I4 may be held on hub I5 by a set screw or otherwise rigidly fastened thereto. The left-hand end 0f shield I4 has a slot I6 of a length slightly greater than the width of the scanning field to be covered by the scanning perforations in the drum.

The slot I6 has a width approximately the same,

as the diameter of the individual scanning perforations and this slot extends parallel to the axis of the drum rotation.

and screw I9, is a tubular metal housing 20 having an inwardly extending annular flange 2i adjacent its left-hand end. Fastened to flange 2l by means of screws 22, is a supporting base 23 for the photoelectric cell 30. Cell 30 may be of any well-known type consisting of a glass bulb having on the interior a photoelectric cathode and a cooperating anode. The bulb can be rigidly held in the base 23 in any suitable way, for example by cement or the like. The base 23 has a pair of arcuate slots 24 through which the fastening screws 22 extend so that by loosening the screws 22 the base can .be rotated to align the photo-cell electrodes with the slot I6. A closure member 25 in the form of an insulating disc can also be attached to the base 23 by means of screws 26. The photo cell is therefore completely protected from extraneous light except that which enters through the slot I and the scanning perforations in drum 1. In order to allow for adjustment, the housing is provided with a window 33 which is much wider than the slot I3, the window 33 having a length approximately equal to the width of the scanning field.

Shield I4 and housing 23 have openings 34, 35, (Fig. 9) to permit the passage of the cross shaft 35 and its worm-wheel 31 so that the latter meshes with worm 3l on motor shaft 5. Shaft 38 is supported for rotation in suitable bearings in bearing blocks 33, 40, carried by wall 2, it be.. ing understood that platform 4 has an opening to permit the shaft 35 to pass freely therethrough. At its lower end, shaft 35 carries a worm 4I in mesh with a worm-wheel 42 fastened to countershaft 43, which is mounted for rotation in suitable bearing blocks 44, 45 fastened to walls 2 and 3 respectively.' Shaft 43 is adapted to drive the recorder feed drum |33 Yby means of clutch I I2-I I3 and shaft section 43a as will be described in connection with Fig. 1l. Keyed, or otherwise fastened, to the left-hand end of shaft 43 is a tape feed drum 45 shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. Drum 45 is of slightly greater width than message tape 48, and the central section 41 is annularly grooved while the peripheral surfaces are roughened, e. g., by ne line transverse grooves.

Inorder to hold the tape against the drum 45 so as to effect the proper feeding movement and to prevent any'slippage, there are' provided two endless flexible belts 43, 45, of rubberor similar material which are looped around Vcorresponding pairs of grooved idler pulleys 50, 5I, 52, 53. 'I'he pulleys 50, 52, are fastened to a common bearing hub 54 which rotates on shaft 55. Likewise pulleys 5I, 53, have a common hub 55 rotatable on shaft 51 carried by wall 2. A

As shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4. the endless belts 48 and 49 are so arranged that as they leave the front part of their cooperating pulleys,

4 they loop towards the rear to engage the rear sur- ,.'face of the drum 45. In other words, the belts instead of travelling ln linear paths on opposite sides of the feed drum, are deflected out of such linear path thus enabling the tape 43 to enter and leave from the same side of the drum. The dimensions of the pulleys and their positions with respect to drum 45 are such that each belt is, during the curved part of its path around the rear of drum 45, maintained in lightly tensioned contact with the drum. If desired, one or both of the pulley sets may be adjustable toward and away from-the feed drum so as to adjust the tension of the belts. Preferably the two sets of pulleys are substantially contiguous with the surface of the feed drum except for the slight space provided for the rubber bands 48 and 45 which are preferably, although not necessarily, circular in cross section. In any event, it should be noted that the pulleys are of smaller diameter than the drum and the axis of rotation of the drum is offset outwardly with respect to the plane of the pulley axes. Thus in the absence of the feed drum, the rubber bands would tend to follow linear paths on opposite sides of the pulleys and preferably the axis of the feed drum is located so that while it is offset with respect to the pulleys, it nevertheless lies within the otherwise nonnal linear path of the belt which is indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 2. With this arrangement, the two bands maintain the tape taut against the surface of the drum throughout approximately one-half the drum circumference. While I have found that best results are obtained with this arrangement, the belts may be looped around the drum any desired angular distance.

To guide the tape, there is provided a member having side walls 58, 59, terminating at their for ward upper portions in a flattened tubular inlet guide 60. This member is rigidly fastened to a flange 6I attached to wall 2. The tape outlet guide consists of a chute-like member 52 fastened to a flange 53 attached'to wall 2. To strip the tape from the drum and to insure its being fed out through guide 62, the front wall of member 32 has a central struck-out tongue 34 which is slightly narrower than the groove 41 and terminates just short of the bottom of said groove. Consequently, the tape being held tautly against the drum through at least one-half the circumference thereof, when it leaves the drum it is deflected downwardly by tongue 54. At the same time, to prevent the tape sticking to the rubber belts, the rear wall of member 52 has a centrally extending tongue 65 which is slightly narrower than the space between pulleys 5 I, 53, this tongue extending between the pulleys to deflect the tape upwardly to insure its exit through the open end of the-guide I2.

I have found that the above described manner of feeding and guiding the tape is particularly well suitedwhere short lengths of tape are to be inserted manually for transmission. In fact, no particular skill is required to make sure that the tape is properly threaded into the machine. since even the lightest contact of the tape end with drum 45 and the belts adjacent the area where the drum rst engages the belts causes the tape to be drawn between the drum and the belts in the direction of the arrows as indicated In Fig. 4.' As a matter of fact, the'feeding arrangement is automatically self-aligning so far as the tape is concerned, so that even if the tape is inserted into the machine with its transverse width at an angle to the axis of drum 45, the bands in cooperation with the drum 45 will automatically center the tape with respect to the drum after a short length of travel.

It will be understood that gear ratios 31-33 and 4I-42 are designed so that the tape feed drum 45 rotates at a much lower speed than the scanning drum I4. Thus, if the scanning openings are approximately 0.0i inch squares, the drum I4 may be rotated at 1800 R.. P. M., while drum 45 is rotated at 18 R. P. M. The effect is therefore equivalent to scanning each 0.01 inch transverse strip of the tape in twenty successive elemental areas for each one-third revolution of the scanning drum. In order to illuminate the tape, there is provided a lamp mounted in a lamp socket 81 fastened to wall 2. Preferably, polarized oscillating armature device may be emlamp 66 'is of the type having straight filament ployed in place of the particular one illustrated. 66A which may be focused on the tape to an The circuits for the control windings 91, 88, may image sufliciently long to form an image on the be arranged so that when a marking signal is on tape reaching from the bottom to the top of the 5 the line, the armature 89 will stay against core scanned letters. Positioned between the lamp 95, while for-spacing signal conditions on the line andthe tape on drum 45 is a conventional optical the armature 89'will beheld against core 86. condensing system with a spherical lens 68 Arm 86 which may be of flexible leaf-spring mounted in a bracket 89 fastened to wall 2. material, has transversely threaded therethrough Bracket 68 has a vertically extending opaque 1o an adjustable tie armas whose effective length wall l0 which shields the slots I6 and 33 from the between lever 86 and lever 84 can be adjusted and direct light of the lamp. Thus tape 46 is illumilocked by means of nuts threaded on arm 88 nated in a concentrated band of light extending and tightened against arm 86. Arm 89 is riveted across the center portion of the tape, e. g., about at one end to lever 84. By `adjusting the eifecone-quarter of an inch wide. tive length of arm 89, the neutral or operating Positioned in alignment with the slots I6 and position of 83 may be regulated. If it is asl'l and the area of the tape which is lighted by sumed that arm 89 is locked in one placel the the lamp, is an objective lens 1| mounted in a position of 83 will be controlled by the length of bracket l2 fastened to wall 2. By this arrangearm 99. In other words, when a marking signal ment the optical system is greatly simplified and is received on the line, arm 86 is tilted clockwise the reflected light from the message tape is coland pushes bar 83 against the ribs 88, 8|, on

v lected by lens 1| and is imaged through slot I6 on drum 9. During spacing, the bar 68 is pulled the drum 1. Thus the cell 38 sees successive downwardly so that both it and the tape 82 are transverse strips of the tape of elemental width clear of the helical ribs 80, 8|. It should also be and the scanning perforations analyze each strip observed that lever 84 carries a curved tape guidinto twenty successive elemental areas. The cell ing plate |00 and the tape 82 extends substanelectrodes 3|, 32, are connected respectively by tially parallel to the lever throughout the greater insulated electrical conductors 12 and 1.3 to a portion of the lever length and is led off down- Vsuitable amplifier so that the amplified response wardly at an angle over the rounded edge |8I. of the cell can be transmitted in any well-known Likewise, the striker bar 83 is preferably rounded manner over a communication channel. and the tape is taken off at a, downward angle The machine is designed to act also as a facas shown in Fig. 3. Thus the tension of the tape simile recorder or reproducer. For this purpose, on the end |0| can serve as a counterbalance to there is provided the recording drum or platen 9 the load On'ithe left-hand portion of lever 84. having three separate helically disposed knife The direction of feeding movement of the tape edged ribs or threads 19, 8u, 8|, similar to a isndieatedin Fig.3by the arrows. triple screw thread, and a cooperating recorder The tape after passing the bar 83 is looped bar 83. By this means the electric impulses corover the idler roller v||l2 and then passes over the responding to e ,give message for examp1e that feed roller |03 fastened to shaft section 43a and illustrated by the tape of Fig. 14 are recorded 40 which may be constructed Similarly te the feed simultaneously in duplicate and side by side on roller 45' above described. The tape is held the recording tape 82 as illustrated in Fig. 15. against the feed roller bv a pressure roller |04 For this purpose, striker bar 83 is mounted in attached t0 a lever |05 DIVOtally mounted at |08 cooperating relation with the helical ribs, so that 0n Wall 3. The right-hand end of lever |85 enwhen it is moved to striking position at any given gages a compression Spring |01 one end of which instant, it simultaneously engages only two coris seated in la cup-shaped stop |88, the other end responding points of two adjacent helical ribs. 0f the Spring being seated in a cup-shaped de- The recording is effected by an inking arrangepression |89 in the lever. The tape after leaving ment consisting .of an inking roller |28 carrying the feed roller |08 passes through a suitable guide amoist inking pad |22. This inking pad is in |05. lt will be understood of course that the tape engagement with the hard rubber doctor roller is fed from a Suitable payoff reel and 1S stored |2| which beers upon the helical ribs on drum g, on a suitable takeoff reel located in convenient As Shown more clearly in Fig 3I ber 93 is earpositions with respect to the mechanism shown rled by a rigid L-shaped lever 84 which is pivotalin F18. 3. 1y supported on a fu1crum pin .g5 fastened to 55 The machine can be used to transmit messages wall 3. Also pivotally mounted on fulcrum pin and also to receive messages. However. in the and rigidly attached to arm 84 is an oscillating event that it iS desired t0 llSe Only the transmitter arm 86, the free end of which lies between a pair DOrtiOrl, there iS provided a Clutch arrangement of arms 81,88, carried by the magnetic armature Shown in detail in Figs. 1 and 11. For this purggV Armature 39 1S pivoted at point 90 on ne 60 pose, the driving shaft 43 has fastened thereto bottom of housing 8|. Surrounding the shank a collar |0 carrying a plurality of parallel arms 82 of the armature is a stationary magnetizing t0 Which are rigidly fastened the toothed winding 93 whereby the end 88 of the armature clutch member ||2. Slidably keyed to shaft secismagnetically polarized. Mounted adjacent the tion 43a is a collar H3 carrying a plurality of endvss but on opposite sides are two magnetizable rods I I4. Which freely pass through a stop memcores 85, 96, with respective magnetizing windber l |'5 fastened t0 Shaft 43a. Rigidly attached ings 81, 88. Windings 91, 88, are arranged to be to the left-hand ends of rods ||4 is a cooperating energized in accordance with the received facclutch plate ||6. located between members III simile signals as described in detail in applicaand ||6, is a coiled compression spring ||1 wheretion Serial No. 397,513, filed June 11, 1941. Thus, by member I6 normally tends to engage member if winding 91 is energized to a greater extent than ||2 to rotate shaft 43a. By means of a suitable winding 98, the armature 89 is attracted to core lever (not shown), the members |||l and H2 86, while if winding 88 is energized to a greater may be moved to the left so as to declutch shaft extent, the armature is attracted to core 95. It section 43a from shaft 43. A pair of fingers ride will be understood of course that any well-known in the groove of H0 and these fingers are connected by a link to the switcnso thatvwhen the switch is thrown to the transmit position, Il! and I i8 are disengaged. The object of the floating arrangement of H6 and H31with thespring lll is to make it possible for |03 tonturn freely when the tape is pulled. When |03 is rotated clockwise by pulling the .tape manually, the crown ratchet wheel H6 springs out of place so as to disengage IIZ. It is restored by ill. Were lt not for this, it would be impossible to pull out the tape manually.

All the electrical connectionsv may be made to the various parts of the' machine by means of a single terminal block H8 insulatingly mounted on the wall 2, the block II'B carrying the respective contact prongs II'9 to cooperate with a corresponding plug-in member (not shown).

While one particular embodiment of the invention has been described, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the apertured slit member I6 can be dispensed with if the image of the filament 66a is focused sharply enough on the tape. This can Vbe accomplished for example by using a simple condenser `lens between the lamp 66 and the tape, the lens being stopped by a suitable apertured masking plate so that the tape is illuminated lin a sharply focused transverse band of elemental dimensions in the direction of the tape movement. Features of the invention disclosed herein but not claimed are claimed in copending application Serial No. 439,014, flied April 15, 1942, patented February 8, i944, No. 2,341,315.

What I claim is:

l. A tape feed and guiding arrangement for telegraph machines and the like comprising a tape supporting and feeding drum having a central circumferential recess, Yan endless looped flexible band having a portion of its length pressing against said drum for holding the tape against the drum, and tape guiding and stripping means comprising a pair of end plates at each end of said drum and extending slightly therebeyond in a radial direction, an inlet tape guide connected to said plates, an outlet tape guide also connected to said plates, said outlet guide having a tongue extending into said recess to strip the tape from the drum as it emerges therefrom and having an edge in closely spaced relation to said band to strip the tape therefrom as it emerges.

2. A unitary tape facsimile transmitter and recorder machine comprising a motor having its shaft extended in opposite directions, means to generate signals in accordance with the subject matter to be transmitted including a perforated scanning drum directly fastened to one end of the motor shaft, means for recording said subject matter including a facsimile recorder platen directly fastened to the opposite end of the motor shaft, a countershaft parallel to the motor shaft,

tape feed drums carried by opposite ends of' said countershaft in alignment respectively with said scanning drum and with Vsaid recording platen,

Va pair of endless flexible bands to hold the transmitting tape around its feed drum without interfering with the feeding movement of the tape to and from said drum, whereby said transmitting tape may be fed into and out of the machine on substantially the same side of the feeding drum.

3. A facsimile tape scanning head comprising a tape supporting and feeding drum, a pair of grooved pulley members connected to a common hub each pulley member being contiguous with the marginal ends of said dnim, a pair of endless looped flexible bands surrounding said pulleys and having a portion of their surfaces engaging the tape to clamp it against said drum, a lamp having a filament disposed so as to project a scanning light band on said tape transversely of the width thereof and between the said pulleys, a perforated drum scanner mounted with its axis of rotation substantially parallel to the axis of said feed drum, a light-sensitive cell inside said scanning drum, a lens for collecting the light reflected from the illuminated light band on the tape and projecting it into the cell, and means to shield said cell against the direct light from said lamp.

4. A scanning head for a tape facsimile transmitter comprising a motor, a cylindrical scanning drum directly fastened to the motor shaft and having a. series of scanning perforations, a tubular opaque light shield directly fastened to the motor frame and surrounding said drum, said shield having a narrow light slit cooperating with said scanning perforations, and a light-proof housing for said drum and shield and attached directly to said motor frame, a photoelectric cell having a supporting base fastened inside said housing said cell extending into said scanning drum, said base being adjustably fastened inside said housing to enable the photoelectric cell to be aligned with respect to said light slit.

5. A unitary tape facsimile transmitter and recorder machine comprising a motor having its shaft extended in opposite directions, means to generate signals in accordance with the subject matter to be transmitted including a perforated scanning drum directly fastened to one end of the motor shaft, means for recording said subject matter including a facsimile recorder platen directly fastened to the opposite end of the motor shaft, a countershaft parallel to the motor shaft, tape feed means carried by opposite ends of said counter shaft in alignment respectively with said scanning drum and said recording platen, and means to hold the transmitting tape around its feed drum without interfering with the feeding movement of the tape to and from said drum.

AUSTIN G. COOLEY. 

